Carnival

Julian “Jules” Devereaux was born for the stage. From the moment he could walk, he was drawn to the spotlight, finding a sense of purpose in the grand, theatrical world of performance. He was a natural talent, a prodigy in acrobatics and fencing, and his ambition was to become a renowned actor. Yet, after a series of brutal, soul-crushing auditions, Julian found himself aimless and adrift. The stage, once a sanctuary, now felt like a prison. He began to question his life's path, a lost soul in a city of millions, clinging to the only world he knew.

In his darkest hour, a mysterious flyer found its way into his hands. It advertised an unforgettable performance by The Carnival of Shadows, a lavish, secret masquerade that preyed on broken, desperate artists, offering them “eternal roles” in exchange for their will. Intrigued by the promise of spectacle and a sense of belonging, Julian followed the flyer's vague directions and was met by a clandestine, invitation-only audience, their faces hidden behind grotesque, theatrical masks. They handed out black roses, whispered promises of “true artistry”.

Led by the enigmatic and cunning Vanessa DeVore, this cult was a mesmerizing blend of spectacle and sinister ritual. They lured in the lost and the ambitious, promising them purpose and power in exchange for their loyalty. Jules was welcomed into their ranks, finding a sense of belonging in their dark theatrics. During a grotesque initiation ceremony, he was meant to be branded with the cult's symbol bind his soul to the Carnival, becoming one of its eternal performers. But as the ritual began, Jules’s inner self rebelled against the finality of giving up his will.

Vanessa, amused by his sharp tongue and fearlessness, chose to make a mockery of him. She armed him with two ornate rapiers—ceremonial blades infused with magical energy and set him against three of her monstrous thralls in a duel meant to end with Jules’s blood on the floor. But instead of dying, Jules’s instincts as a fencer and acrobat took over. The moment his hands closed around the hilts of the rapiers, a surge of golden-orange energy erupted, not just from the blades, but through his very being. The rapiers didn't just accept him; they bonded with him, recognizing a spirit of defiant theatricality and nascent heroism. He fought like a man possessed, the rapiers responding to him as though they recognized his spirit. With impossible agility, he defeated the strongmen and fled with the swords and never looked back.

Jules leaned into what he knew best: performance. He became Carnival, a wisecracking swashbuckler who turns every fight into a show. He flips and twirls across rooftops, mocking villains as he fences with flair, always smirking in the face of danger. For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t lost—his stage was the city, his audience, the people he protected.

🗡Éclat – The “blade of brilliance”: Éclat channels dazzling bursts of golden-orange light. In Jules’s hands, it amplifies his speed and agility, letting him blur across the battlefield in acrobatic flourishes. When thrust with precision, Éclat can unleash blinding flares that disorient foes, turning combat into both spectacle and chaos. It thrives on flourish, rewarding Jules’s theatrical, high-energy fighting style.

🗡Lumière – The “blade of radiance”: Lumière carries a subtler, steadier glow. It enhances Jules’s reflexes and perception, allowing him to read opponents’ movements like choreography. Lumière can project arcs of shimmering energy that cut through shadow, corruption, and illusion, making it especially effective against dark magic. It embodies control and clarity, grounding Jules’s improvisational flair with precision and focus.